Dallas Stars Blog

Erik Cole believes fresh start in Dallas could be just what he needs

In the end, Erik Cole said he knew he was going somewhere, so he decided that after a little research, Dallas would be a good fit.

Cole, who was acquired by the Stars from the Montreal Canadiens for Michael Ryder and a third round draft pick on Tuesday, will suit up for his Stars debut Thursday night against Edmonton at American Airlines Center. The trade is part of the jarring world of pro sports, but it also is a decision that Cole feels good about.

The 34-year-old right wing had a limited no-trade clause in his contract. He signed a four-year, $18 million deal as a free agent with Montreal in the summer of 2011. With a new GM, a new coaching staff, and many changes in the past year, Cole was told he didn’t fit anymore. New Montreal GM Marc Bergevin told Cole he had to move the remaining two seasons of his deal (at $4 million in pay and $4.5 million in salary cap hit) to make things work going financially forward for the Montreal payroll. Bergevin presented the offer from Dallas to Cole on Tuesday morning, and said it was a good one. He added that if Cole didn’t take this offer, then another one would be coming from another team…and then another.

Cole said he called old Carolina teammate Ray Whitney (now with the Stars) and chatted about Dallas. He said the decision was then made quickly to approve the trade.

“The opportunity to come here and play was the best decision for me,’’ he said.

Bottom line, it could be transforming for Cole. He was struggling in Montreal this season. After scoring a career-high 35 goals last season, he had just three goals and three assists in 19 games while playing 15:39. He was an emotional supporter of the NHL Players Association during the lockout, and some speculated that had an effect on him.

However, Cole said the slow start was due more to his fight to get into the competitive level of NHL play.

“Having the time off and such a long gap, it was a little tough to recondition the body for all the bumps and bruises you take along the way,’’ he said. “You just have to take some time before you get to par.’’

That said, Cole does feel like a fresh start can help right now. If the Canadiens truly needed to move past him, then it’s nice to find a team that values him and his contract. Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk said that he wanted Cole because of his contract, that he feels the winger can produce and be a top six player with an affordable deal.

“In the conversations that I’ve had with Joe, and (Stars advisor) Mark Recchi called me today, they are as excited as I am,” Cole said. “It’s going to be nice to come to the rink tomorrow and not have any worries. I am going to put on my gear and go play, play as hard as I can, and see what happens.”

And that is part of the reason Nieuwendyk said he swung the trade. Ryder is going to be an unrestricted free agent. Cole is under contract. It gives the Stars some security in the top six forwards. In addition to Ryder, Brenden Morrow, Jaromir Jagr and Derek Roy can also become UFAs in the summer.

“He’ll be more of a power forward that will fit well in our lineup,” Nieuwendyk said. “He has a style that will be more beneficial to our team with how we want to play moving forward, a big body attacking the opponent.”

And that appeals to Cole. He was a member of the 2006 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes with Recchi and Whitney, and he had a great season last year with Montreal. So he feels his slow start this season is more the exception than the rule.

“I feel like there was a small group of us on the team struggling to find our chemistry that we had the previous year,” Cole said. “I feel like over the last four, five, six games I’ve been playing a much better brand of hockey, more my style and more assertive.”

Gulutzan said he sees the left-handed Cole as a right-winger and not a player who can switch sides. That means he will have to jockey with Jaromir Jagr, Loui Eriksson and maybe Reilly Smith or Antoine Roussel to find the right line.

“He’s a left shot that plays on the right side,” said Gulutzan. “I’ve got some ideas and I am going to sit down and think about it. I would guess the right side.”

Gulutzan added that the coaching staff would do research on Cole’s 35 goals last seaosn, and see where he is best used at even strength and on the power play.

“We’re going to talk to him and see where his strengths are. Get some video from Montreal and see where he had success last season,’’ Gulutzan said, adding Cole’s scoring history makes him a fit on any of the top three lines. “I like the way we’re playing, I like the way all four of our lines are playing. I like contributions from all lines. I like to keep things balanced.’’

Cole said he spoke at length with Whitney about more than just the game on the ice. He said he wanted to know about bringing his family to Dallas, too.

“We talked about the city, the schooling, the area in which he is living for the family,” Cole said. “This isn’t a situation where I am here for just the remainder of the season and then I am done. I have two years left on my contract. This being a very family-friendly area was definitely helpful. Obviously, we talked about on the ice, how he likes the transition, the teammates, the coaching staff, everything, the set-up. All just glowing reviews.”

Cole said his wife and kids will stay in Montreal. His daughter is finishing sixth grade and his son is playing hockey, so the transition will come in the summer. But he added that the family is excited about the move, and that’s another reason Dallas seems like a good fit.

Asked about possibly playing with Jaromir Jagr or Jamie Benn, Cole said there is a good mix on the Stars.

“I think it’s exciting,’’ Cole said. “Any time you have a good mixture of veteran guys and youthful exuberance, that’s a good recipe.’’

Nieuwendyk said that while the roster right now is full of veteran scoring wingers in Cole, Jagr, Whitney and Brenden Morrow, he believes the younger scoring wingers will benefit from the leadership.

“We want to be in a position to transition our younger players and put them in roles where they can be successful and comfortable and then expand into more prominent roles,” Nieuwendyk said. “I think the two-year term with Erik allows us to put some of our younger players in better positions where they can be successful and help that transition.”

While forwards like Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser seem ready for the NHL, younger players like Brett Ritchie and Matej Stransky can be helped by not being rushed through the AHL before they are ready.

And that also is part of the strategy behind getting an older veteran.

As for finding his game again, Cole said he plans to keep it simple.

“I think I’ll try to go out tomorrow night and not reinvent the wheel, but just play my game,” he said.

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